probably nobody will care, but I’m sad at the passing of my microwave. It was born in July of 1983, and died march 24th, 2026. I had bought it used in 1992 and it faithfully served me and my family for many years until today, when the keypad decided to partially quit working. Rest in peace Zappy, you will be missed.
I’m looking for a new keypad but unsurprisingly the parts for this ancient thing are no longer in stock so I doubt I’ll be able to resurrect it without some sort of miracle. I know it’s just an appliance but it still makes me sad to see it go.
unless the magnetron died, it’s not dead.
It seems to be the membrane switch (keypad). Still a perfectly good microwave if I can end up finding the right parts. I’m going to try and fix the membrane and see what happens from there, maybe I’ll get lucky and be able to salvage it.
The membrane buttons on my also Panasonic bread machine are dying after ten years. No more up, but at least it will cycle around through menus, so down button will suffice. I feel your pain and fear that soon too I will be in the same situation.
If you are able to fix the membrane switches please share!
I will be sure to update when I can. I’m hoping I’ll have time this weekend to mess with it but I still have to install hand rails for my neighbor and some other stuff, so we’ll see.
I’ve decided either way I’m not going to get rid of this thing just yet, even if I have to pick up another microwave in the meantime while I try to get it running again.
Really glad to hear that, invested at this point. Often just a good clean/little graphite will sort those membrane keys out, it’s just a graphite pad on a little rubber dome that bridges contacts on a pcb when you push it down
e: even if it’s goofy and hard to get apart, just swishing it in iso and letting it dry has a decent chance of working
that’s like, 10 confederacies. you should put up a statue dedicated to your microwave
Except this thing was actually useful and did some good for all those years lol!
There’s probably a ribbon cable from the membrane. You could try buzzing out the keys and making one or adapting an ordered standard part
I also have a microwave from the 80s, got it from my dad and he bought it when he was young.
I hope it never dies. I love the Star Trek-like touchpad and the beautiful CCFL display. 😍
It’s a Panasonic as well, I even have the ridiculous microwave cookbook somewhere, which contains a lot of really bad meal photos.
we had one from the early 90s or 80s also panasonic, it last 30+years, then we bought a newish one few years ago, and it died in 2 years. it was the famous overheating one, that looks likes it catching onfire it was 100$, and then it suddenly stopped working lol. the current one we spent a little more and it was working fine.
My mom still uses the Panasonic microwave that she bought in the '80s.
Meanwhile, I’ve been through four microwaves since 2000.
O7
Radiate in peace o7
F
For that microwave to last that long is the testament to its durability. Actually, up until the 90s most appliances were built like tanks and so why some people hold onto them, partly they were IMHO easier to repair than supposedly “smart” appliances.
I also remember how Sony TVs during the 80s that were sold included detailed electronic schematic diagrams helpful to technicians.
My microwave has the schematics included too, it’s printed inside underneath the cover after you take it off. Handy to have.
If I don’t find this story dull, what does it say about me?
You’re an enlightened individual?
Let’s go with that.
You work in shed 4 hours a night.
We recently had to replace a $500 Electrolux microwave that was only 11 years old. We mistakenly thought that brand was supposed to be higher quality :(
My mom had a microwave that lasted for decades. I left home in '81, so it was bought prior to that. She was still using it when she passed in '16. That thing was huge. I remember that before my dad would sit down to the table to eat, he would open the door on it to just the right angle so he could continue watching the TV in it’s reflection. The only thing wrong with it was the top and bottom rows of red LED lights had quit shining which made it a little tricky to tell how much time was left on it, but that never bothered my mom. Also, they didn’t have turntables in them back then, so you had to frequently turn the food. Mom bought a wind-up platform that you’d sit the food on and you could hear it in there ticking away while it slowly turned your food. She had to give up about 2.5 inches of height for it, but that oven was so big it didn’t matter…
Really? In my experience Electrolux devices are really easy to repair and they supply parts for a very long time, was it you or a company that would carry out the repair?
I recently repaired an oven from Electeolux that was 20+ years.
But sorry to hear it had to go!
In my experience Electrolux devices are really easy to repair
In the 90s. New stuff is the same shit as everywhere else. Bosch washers are designed to fail.
The repair company we use told us it wasn’t worth fixing, and I believed them. To repair the microwave would have cost more than the new GE we replaced it with for <$220 on sale, which I installed myself. We also had an Electrolux double wall oven that kept burning out computer boards at about the 10 year mark. We had them fixed twice in 6 months, and when it went out the third time we wrote it off and replaced it with a Kitchenaid. One of the burners on the stove top is slow to heat up, but still usable. The dishwasher doesn’t seem to have a drying cycle anymore, but still cleans, tho we rarely use it. We did a big remodel back in 2011, and bought all Electrolux appliances and were quite proud of them, but alas… The first thing my wife did when the new kitchen was open was bake 6 trays of cookies at once :)
Expensive appliances just cost more.
We mistakenly thought that brand was supposed to be higher quality :(
What you can tell from a single instance of failure: Absolutely nothing.
It requires statistics to figure out if that’s a trend or a single instance.
My ex-wife threw away an Amana Radarange, which had a rotating reflector on the ceiling instead of a rotating plate, which I had bought in the 80’s, before I “got” her. When I came home, I went to the recycling center, and was able to retrieve it. I installed it in my home office to reheat stuff, but mainly for sentimental issues.
She had a habit of throwing stuff out because she decided I didn’t need it.
Good riddance (her, I mean).
I had an ex-gf that liked to make things disappear that she didn’t like. Lost a few good shirts and a mannequin head because of her. (And a little bit of sanity, but that’s another story entirely.)
Did you take her to the recycling center?
Nooooo rip, Zappy did a good job
He served his time!!
My 40 year old heat pump died last week too
Ouch, that sounds a little pricey.
Yeah did the whole furnace too since it was 26 years old. Good news is I can use my cold climate heat pump down to -20 f! But I set it for 20 degrees f usually. Then my dishwasher broke 😆 its been a year
Then my dishwasher broke
Same thing happened to me, but it’s OK: mom’s gonna be moving into a nursing home soon anyway.
Eyoooo
My toaster oven just died. It was so old all the numbers rubbed off and we just ran it off vibes. Guests were like, how long to make toast? And I just told them turn it till it feels right. I’m going to miss that toaster oven, it was the best.
What died? Dm me if you want to try fixing it. Super simple circuit usually, timer switch+element, thermostat if it’s fancy. Guarantee we can keep it around sub-$20
I am barely older than this microwave and am now worried.
(I was wondering how it looks like.)
Also:
I would like to cook my lasagna for 7355608
The bomb has been planted
8675309
Shut up, Jenny
Warm a cup of milk with 58008.
Lol that must be a sibling! Mine was the 8050c but it looks exactly the same. The last pic isn’t the same one tho
Built the same month too… that ones serial # is 5697, mine is 4495 so It’s like the younger brother to mine.
Edit: Now I’m wondering what the “C” is for… is there a difference or maybe the C is because mine was for Canada??
Lol, yes, I did a double take too after seeing the date - but that one RIPed in 2022 as per post I stole the images from.
I wonder what the “C” variant had more or less or different to the non-C one. … Canada could be one explanation (so maybe different packaging, promos, or labels).
(The last pic was just an idea how to fix it - or just arduino it to Home Assistant! :))
43 years is legendary—Zappy lived a full, honorable life 🫡
